I'll Follow You Into The Light
by Hajabeg
Summary: "But I have a question," he made a pause, just for dramatic effect, and Rachel tried not to roll her eyes once again. "Why, when your life is going so good, your songs are so sad?" Faberry. With Pezberry friendship.
1. Chapter 1

_Because apparently, it is really fun to write one shots and also because I am completely in love with Sara Bareilles right now, I come baring yet another Faberry one shot. I think I might be getting addicted now. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it._

_Disclaimer: Glee belongs to RIB, I just like having fun writing the girls._

* * *

><p><em><strong>I'll Follow You Into The Light<strong>_

The standing ovation she was once again receiving, when her song finally came to an end, was beyond amazing. Everyone was in their feet, clapping and cheering while wiping off their tears or trying to hold back their sobs.

"Our star for today is the most recently EGOT recipient… Rachel Berry, everybody!" the host of the show announced, sniffing a bit into the microphone, smiling widely and making the crowd go wild with excitement. "And welcome to _Sitting With A Star_!" He smiled at her as the applause slowly faded. "Please, have a seat."

"Thanks." The brunette replied politely, smiling at the public before sitting down and facing the infamous Jacob Ben Israel.

"That was such an incredible performance!" he said, and the public cheered in agreement. "You are even better than when you were in New Directions. I'm telling you, that was simply breathtakingly."

"Thank you." Rachel said again, playing absentmindedly with the edge of her dress. "I always try to give my best when I'm performing."

"You certainly know how to give us just that, then." He smiled at her, almost drooling over her stunning short black dress, before turning to the crowd. "Am I right, or what?"

Everyone started cheering again and someone even went as far as yelling '_I love you superstar_'.

"Don't we all." Jacob said in replied to what the fan had said. The singer forced a polite smile to him, and the host continued. "It's been years since the last time we saw each other, Rachel." He started talking, staring her down with his, still incredibly creepy, brown eyes. "Did you guys know that we went to high school together?"

A chorus of '_oohs_' was heard from the crowd and Jacob nodded.

"She was already brilliant back then." He complemented. "And their Glee club even won Nationals on senior year!" another round of cheers and applauses. "I bet you had lots of fun."

"It was one of the best years of my life, really." She confessed, smiling fondly to the memory of New Directions carrying their trophy back to the hotel that night, all of them laughing and celebrating their success like the family they were.

"So, let's talk about your life." Jacob started saying with an anxious tone and Rachel did everything in her power to not roll her eyes.

She was only doing this interview because the man promised to donate a sick amount of money to a few of her charities in exchange of an interview about her new released album and some stuff about her personal life. Knowing how Jacob Ben Israel was, Rachel knew that accepting the deal wouldn't be a good idea, but with all that money…

Well, now she was sitting here at the same time that more kids in Africa had clean water, food and new schools to go to.

It was worth it.

"Are you a lesbian?"

"Yes I am." Rachel replied immediately. She was done hiding herself like that.

The public remained silent.

"What made you finally want to come out of the closet?" he asked. "You only did it a few months ago, but the rumors about you being involved with girls, which I now take them as being true, started years ago. Why now? Knowing that it could damage your career forever, what made you take such a risk?"

"I couldn't breathe." Rachel said, and then turned around to face the public and speak to them. "Everyday I got up and just knowing that I had to put a mask on and go through a whole day like that, watching everybody be themselves but hiding myself just because it could upset some people with closed minds was slowly killing me. I couldn't do it anymore. So, I stopped lying and I hoped that my family, friends and fans would support me and accept me for who I really was; a person, just like everyone else. Someone that feels, see and smells the same as them; someone that will forever be in love with music; and someone that also happened to love women in the same way that most men did." She smiled, more to herself that anyone else and said. "Thankfully, everything turned out really good. I had such a wonderful response from everyone that sometimes it was downright overwhelming for me, but in a very good way!"

"You do have amazing fans." Jacob smiled at her at the same time that the crowd broke on another wave of applauses. "We all supported you and in exchange, you rewarded us with a stunning album."

Rachel laughed and nodded. "Yes, I like to think of that record as my baby."

"It has been the number one album all over the world since it came out, and it even broke all the records that Adele set when she released _21_." The host informed, getting cheers all over again because of his words.

"That is a pretty big deal." The brunette joked, extracting laughter from everyone present. "But seriously, I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished."

"_Gardenias For Lucia_ is already diamond in every country and I'm sure you will get every single possible Grammy, too. But I have a question," he made a pause, just for dramatic effect, and Rachel tried not to roll her eyes once again. "Why, when your life is going so good, your songs are so sad? Because I assure you that I cried for almost two hours straight when I listened to the whole album the first couple of times."

Rachel closed her eyes for a second and her mind immediately brought her back to the first time she received a gardenia.

* * *

><p><em>It was her last day in Lima when Rachel found herself walking towards the auditorium for the last time. <em>

_The school year was already over, but even when the place was closed she always managed to get in; thanks to a spare key that the janitor had given to her after almost 30 minutes of Rachel talking to him non-stop on her freshman year._

_She stood in the middle of the stage, looking up at the lights and walking in small circles in the same spot, taking every bit of the place in and trying to memorize the essence of the sanctuary that was her companion for so many years._

"_We're back to being just you and me." Rachel whispered into the silence. "I broke up with Finn." She kept going, making her way towards the elegant black piano. "It was stupid, really, to think that a long distance relationship was going to work between us." Her fingers caressed the surface of the instrument softly. "But it's better this way. Finn was my first love, but he was making me forget about what really mattered to me, about what I really wanted." She sat down in front of the ebony keys. "In fact, the only person that always focused on my dreams was…"_

_Her voice trailed off when the perfect song, to play for the last time in the auditorium as a part of the student body –because she was so going to be coming back to organize a charity event someday in the future and raise money for the school's glee club– and as her closure with high school life, finally came to her mind._

_She started playing the piano softly, allowing the beautiful melody get to every fiber of her body and closing her eyes, willing her feelings to take over._

In the morning it comes

Heaven sent a hurricane

Not a trace of the sun

But I don't even run from rain

_Rachel's voice sounded passionate and full of emotions. The lines between sadness, hope, hurt, joy, fear and love were almost invisible because she was feeling everything at once, and she was letting it show._

Beating out of my chest

Heart is holding on to you

From the moment I knew

From the moment I knew

_The brunette turned around, without stopping the music, when she heard a soft voice join the song. Her eyes widened considerably as soon as she saw Quinn Fabray walking towards her with her hands behind her back and warm smile on her face. Rachel's fingers hesitated on the next note just for a mere second. She wanted to stop and ask the blonde what was she doing here; she wanted to stop and tell her that this was her private moment, her goodbye. But for some reason, the idea of singing her last song with Quinn Fabray, of all people, was just…_

You were the air in my breath

Filling up my love soaked lungs

Such a beautiful mess

Intertwined and overrun

Nothing better than this

Ooh, and then the storm can come

You feel just like the sun

Just like the sun

_When the words faded, Rachel looked up and locked her gaze with the most beautiful hazel eyes that she has ever seen. Quinn walked until she was standing at the other end of the piano, right in front of Rachel and staring at her with such an intensity that it was making the brunette's heart almost beat out of her chest. _

And if you say, "Be alright"

I'm gonna trust you, babe

I'm gonna look in your eyes

And if you say, "Be alright"

I'll follow you into the light

_Everything around them stopped completely when Quinn sang those words. The blonde moved even closer to Rachel, and only stopped when she was standing next to her. She fixed her gaze on brown eyes, trying to convey without words how she felt towards the brunette._

Never mind what I knew

Nothing seems to matter now

Ooh, who I was without you

I can do without

_Rachel was completely mesmerized with Quinn's sweet voice. Never in her life has she ever heard someone sing a duet with her while putting such amount of emotions into the words. The blonde gave the brunette a small smile and leaned against the piano, waiting for Rachel to sing the next part._

No one knows where ends

How it may come tumbling down

But I'm here with you now

I'm with you now

_The song echoed on the auditorium and her fingers caressed the ebony keys with the same care she would use if she ever touched Quinn's face. She watched the blonde hum along the melody while the words left Rachel's lips._

And if you say, "Be alright"

I'm gonna trust you, babe

I'm gonna look in your eyes

And if you say, "Be alright"

I'll follow you into the light

_Quinn smile was radiant and warm as she listened to diva belt her heart out. The blonde's arms were still together behind her back and her eyes were shining as bright as possible while staring at Rachel with all the admiration she could muster. Taking a step closer and putting one of her hands on Rachel's relaxed shoulder, the girl sang her favorite part of the song, looking at brown eyes and straight into Rachel's soul._

Let the world come rushing

Come down hard, come crushing

All I need is right here besides me

And all the love I'm swearing

Take my love and wear it

Over your shoulders

_The brunette felt overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment. Her whole life has been about searching for someone to love her so much that words wouldn't even be necessary when it came to expressing their feelings. She thought that she had found that with Finn, but sadly, he wasn't able to give her what she was looking for in the almost two years that they were together. Yet, here was Quinn Fabray, the girls that hated her guts in the past and that refused to open up to her in the present. The girl for which she fought so hard, trying to gain her friendship and trust. Quinn Fabray, the girl that was now looking at her in the way she always wanted to be looked at. With true love._

And if you say, "Be alright"

I'm gonna trust you, babe

I'm gonna look in your eyes

And if you say, "Be alright"

I'll follow you into the light

_They sang together the last stanza of the song. Looking at each other and trying to figure out what the hell was going on between them because the electricity they were feeling was anything but normal._

"_That was amazing." Quinn said, stepping back to give Rachel some space while trying to calm her nerves. "I didn't know… you never told us you could play piano."_

"_It wasn't necessary." The brunette replied, shrugging. "Playing the piano is just a hobby for me, definitely not my forte. Besides, we had Brad, who is such an incredibly and talented pianist."_

_Quinn nodded before looking around the room, taking everything in, and sighing. "God, I'm going to miss this place so much."_

"_I agree with you wholeheartedly." Rachel replied, smiling politely at Quinn before asking the one thing she has been meaning to ask since the blonde walked into the auditorium. "What are you doing here?"_

"_I… I came to talk to you." She answered, taking a step closer to the brunette and locking eyes with her. "There's something I need to tell you, before you… I just need to get it out of my chest because it is killing me and if I don't say it I know I'm going to regret it. So, just hear me out, okay?"_

_Rachel nodded, trying to keep her emotions in control. She didn't know what this was all about, but seeing Quinn closing her eyes and taking deep breaths pretty much confirmed her that it was most definitely something serious._

"_I finally came to terms, a few months ago with the fact that I…" the blonde opened her eyes and ran a hand through her hair. "God, this is so damn hard… I can't take the pressure of beating around the bush and I… screw it. I'm just going to be blunt about it." She took another deep breath and then Quinn said something that Rachel never thought she would ever heard come out of the blonde's mouth. "I'm in love with you."_

_The world around them stopped once again, but this time for a completely different reason._

"_You…" all trace of air left the brunette's lugs and suddenly she couldn't even think properly. "What?"_

"_I love you, Rachel Berry. I have loved you ever since you smiled at me, as if I were as beautiful as the sun, the first time I saw you walking down the halls with your awkward clothes and unique personality. You stole my heart with just one look a few years ago, and it has been yours ever since." Hazel eyes filled with tears and Rachel's hand immediately tried to reach out and comfort her; but she stopped herself on time, Quinn needed to do this on her own._

_Even when she couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that Quinn Fabray was in love with her, Rachel understood that the blonde needed to get everything out in the open._

"_But I was too blind to realize it. I was too scared to admit that I had feelings for you because it went against everything that I grew up believing in. I fought myself every day, trying to push it all away but you always made everything so much harder. I humiliated you, I hurt you, I tried to tear you down in every possible way; yet, you never saw me as the enemy. All you ever wanted was to be my friend." _

_Rachel nodded slightly, still kind of speechless, and Quinn let out a dry laugh._

"_You were driving me nuts every single day. How could I hate someone with such a kind heart? How I could I forget you when your stunning voice haunted my dreams and your amazing smile greeted me daily? It was impossible, for me to keep hurting you, hating you… so I changed tactics and decided to ignore you. That didn't work either, obviously. You came back to find me as soon as we started senior year and I didn't showed up in the choir room." She laughed at the memory of her pink hair and fake tattoos. "That moment under the bleachers was… I can't even being to explain how much it meant, still means, to me. You gave me, with one look and one sentence, all the answers that I didn't know I was looking for. You _saw_ me. And you granted me the space that I needed to get everything sorted out, but sadly, I was already far too damaged to think clearly."_

_Rachel's heart broke all over again at the thought of Quinn's sad eyes just a few months ago. She tried to find a way to express how she was feeling but her mind was all over the place. The blonde's confession has taken her completely by surprise and she really didn't know what to say._

_But Quinn was certainly clear on what she wanted, because she kept talking almost as if Rachel weren't in the room with her._

"_I have done a lot of things in my life that I deeply regret, but now I know better than to dwell on it. I have learned from my mistakes. I have realized that you only have a life and that you need to be true to yourself in order to fully live it." All personal space between them was now vanished. Rachel has been so caught up on the blonde's words that she didn't even realized it until Quinn put a hand on her cheek and whispered softly. "That's why, the day you stopped me from committing the biggest mistake of my life, by telling on Shelby and Puck, I finally accepted to myself that I was in love with you." Quinn confessed while biting her lower lip and trying to decipher what Rachel's reaction was going to be. But when she saw that the brunette wasn't responding, she decided to take one last chance, her leap of faith. "I couldn't let you go, Rachel, without you knowing that I love you with all I got."_

_And with that said, Quinn leaned forward and connected their lips together. _

_The kiss was soft and slow, mostly because the only one making any kind of movement was Quinn. Rachel was still in shock about everything and she couldn't react. Sensing the stiffness on the other girl's body, the blonde was about to pull back when the brunette finally responded. Taking Quinn's hips with her hands, she pushed the blonde closer against her and kissed her back so fiercely that Quinn thought her legs were going to give in at any second. Their lips crashed in a violent battle for control over the situation and their emotions. _

_Rachel's heart was beating wildly inside her chest and every bit of her body felt as if she were on fire. She bit the blonde's lower lip, demanding for a permission that was easily granted. Their tongues met and Rachel couldn't help but growl at how good Quinn tasted in her mouth; like vanilla, with a hint of cinnamon that drove her crazy with pleasure. When Quinn sucked tortuously slow on her tongue, the brunette pulled the blonde against her even tighter, and let out a throaty moan that startled both girls instantly. _

"_Oh my…" Rachel hid her face on Quinn's neck and panted for a few seconds before she jumped back. "No. I can't…" she put even more distance between them and Quinn's heart almost broke at the sight of Rachel stepping away from her. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't… the kiss was a mistake."_

"_No…" Quinn tried to take her hand but the brunette stumbled backwards, once again trying to put some space between them. "No, please don't… don't say that." _

"_I'm sorry, Quinn, but I can't… I just can't." Rachel shook her head and sighed deeply. "After all we have been through… How can I possibly believe that you, of all people, are in love with me?"_

_Rachel's tone was skeptical and almost cruel. It wasn't her intention to hurt Quinn's feelings, but she just couldn't believe what the girl was confessing to her._

"_I'm telling you the truth," the blonde said, almost sounding as if she were begging for something, or maybe everything. "I don't know how it happened, Rachel. All I know is that I cannot stop thinking about you, and the idea of watching you go knowing that I never tried, or that I never told you, was just unbearable."_

"_Now what?" Rachel suddenly asked. Her eyes were guarded and her voice cold, taking Quinn completely aback with the change of attitude. _

"_Ah?" the blonde mumbled, completely confused. "What are you talking...?"_

"_You said you wanted to get it all out of your chest. You've told me and I already know…. Now what?" Rachel asked again, walking closer to the blonde and staring at her with so much anger that Quinn felt a little scared. "What do you expect of me, Quinn Fabray?"_

_The question actually managed to leave the blonde speechless, mostly because she never thought she would mutter the courage to tell Rachel the truth about her feelings. But now that she had told her, now that the petite brunette had replied to her kiss in such a breathtakingly way, Quinn just expected, really, that… _

"_I just, umm… well, we… I mean… I just thought that maybe, I don't know… we could…"_

"_You thought that, once you told me, I would come running to your arms and confess my always hidden love for you? You thought that I would give up my dreams just to pursuit a relationship with you… is that what you thought?" Rachel's voice broke at the end of her rant. She was breathing unevenly and Quinn, for the life of her, couldn't understand why the brunette was so mad._

"_No, of course not!" she tried to talk with a calm tone but the brunette's angry gaze on her wasn't helping at all. "Have you forgotten that I'm the only one that has ever encourage you to keep chasing your dreams? You are the bigger star, Rachel, I have known that my whole life. I would never stand in your way, and not because I love you, but because I believed that you are destined to greatness so…" Quinn closed her eyes, willing her tears to stay at bay just for a few minutes more and took a deep breath. _

_When she opened her eyes, Rachel wasn't looking at her, and that nearly killed her. _

"_I guess that, by telling you the truth, I just wanted you to know that while you were in Lima, someone really did loved you with all their heart and soul." Quinn finally moved the hand that was resting behind her back just to reveal a simple, but quite beautiful, gardenia. "Thank you, for all the things you did for me." _

_The blonde put the flower on top of the piano, turned around and walked away without looking back. Even though she was hoping, with all her heart, that no matter the reason, the brunette would stop her._

_But her feet reached the door after what seemed to be the longest distance she has ever walked in all her life, and the only sound that filled the auditorium was the creaking of the door opening and the blonde's steps fading into the hallway as she walked away._

_Rachel Berry didn't come after her, and Quinn Fabray never turned back._

* * *

><p>"Rachel?"<p>

She snapped out her memories from the past, seven years have passed since high school, when Jacob put his slightly sweaty hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry?"

"Who's the lucky lady?" Jacob asked again, oblivious to the fact that Rachel hasn't been paying attention to the last five minutes of the conversation. "Last week, new pictures of you, together with a stunning brunette, were released in Tumblr. You were in the most important Pandora's store of New York; and we know for a fact that you were looking at engagement rings, so… tell us the truth, because there's no way you can lie to us now!"

"Wow, you guys know everything, don't you?" she laughed and jokingly glared at the public, who laughed in return. "I'm pretty honest with my fans all the time, putting aside the whole 'coming out' thing. There's no need to lie, even when sometimes it is very annoying to not be able to keep some things private, it is better if you just come clean to the people that loves you and supports you. Therefore, I can assure you all that," she pulled up both hands for everyone to see. "…I am not engaged."

As always, Rachel wasn't disappointed in her fan's reactions. Some of them cheered, because of the fact that she was still single, and some of them growled in discontent, because they wanted to see her happy and in love.

"I'll think you'll be surprised when you find out who was the brunette that with me that day," she paused, just to tease him and the public a little and then looked to her left, where she saw Santana backstage hugging Brittany and nodding at her with a content smile on her face. "I was at Pandora's helping my best friend pick up her engagement ring. I'm sure you remember Santana, right?" Rachel asked, pointing to the Latina and waving at her with a smile before turning back to a completely surprised Jacob Ben Israel. "Britt said yes and I'll be an awesome maid of honor sometime next year."

"Congratulations!" the man cheered, still half astonished and looking at the pair of ex-cheerleaders with wide eyes.

"Get over here!" the brunette called the couple, smiling brightly and pulling them into a hug as soon as they were at arm's reach. "Give it up for the newly engaged couple! The legendary Santana Lopez and the amazingly awesome Brittany Pierce!"

The crowd went nuts with excitement even before Rachel finished talking. Not everyday you got to see three of the most acclaimed celebrities of the world in the same room, hugging and laughing.

Rachel was incredibly proud of her best friends.

Brittany turned out to be an amazing actress, especially for theater. No matter the genre, the blonde could nail her character perfectly, as long as there weren't any kind of songs involved. If Rachel Berry was wanted for musicals, Brittany Pierce was just as wanted for plays. Her name was on the playbill of the most amazing pieces that passed by Broadway in the last three years. She was more than great, and the two Tony's and the Emmy (she wont it when she guest started on a popular TV show between the breaks of her plays) resting on her study, back at her and Santana's apartment in NYC, were proof enough of it.

The Latina, on the other hand, discovered her amazing writing skills while she was in college, studying to be a doctor. She felt in love with the fact that she could create anything out of nothing and started writing a book. Turns out, a lot of people liked said book and the second one, and the next one after that. Now, her saga was second on the bestseller list of the entire world, only being beat by JK's _Harry Potter_.

"It's good to see you doing so good, Jacob!" Brittany said in a bright tone, she messed up with his hair and then pulled Santana away from them. "But we better go, because we don't want to steal the diva's spotlight," she winked at Rachel, who smiled back.

Being dragged away by her blonde counterpart, Santana turned to the public and said. "Good to see you guys!"

And with that, they were gone and everyone was on their feet, clapping and cheering at them.

"That was quite a huge surprise." The man said after he finally found his voice. "How did the school's biggest loser end up being best friend with the hottest girls in town?"

"Even though Santana will forever denied this, we were already friends in McKinley, so nothing much really changed." Rachel said with a smile, looking to her side just to get a glimpse of the Latina giving her the finger. "We reconnected again four years ago. Brittany was already making a name out of herself on Broadway; same as me… naturally, we met again at the _Black & White _event of that year, and the rest, as they say, it's history."

"That's amazing!" Jacob gave her a creepy look once again and she pulled down at her dress out of pure instinct. "Now that we cleared that out, let's talk a bit more about your second album." He said, enthusiastically. "_Gardenias for Lucia_ is everything perfect put together in a record." Rachel laughed at this, but didn't say anything. "What can you tell us about your most acclaimed single '_Losing My Soul_'?"

"Oh… wow. It has been two years, since the first time I created it," she answered. "That songs holds a lot of meaning to me, really… I think it's one of the most personal things I have ever written." Her eyes diverted to the expecting crowd and she took a deep breath, forcing back the tears when she started to remember that particularly awful night when thought about her life choices and the consequences, good and bad, that _choosing_ always brought along.

Rachel remembers perfectly well when she wrote it, sitting on the couch next to her bed, watching the rain fall against her window while crying her eyes out because…

* * *

><p><em>The little bistro was rather full that morning. <em>

_The extremely cold weather of the late winter was making everyone do almost anything in exchange of a nice and warm cup of the dark and pure nectar that was brought to Earth by the Gods, also known as coffee._

_Rachel entered the busy place pulling off her gloves and blowing hot air into her hands in hope of not having them freeze and fall off, while balancing her phone in the space between her shoulder and her ear._

"_No, Santana… I already told you that I'm not dating that ballerina." The brunette spoke to the phone, sounding annoyed. _

"Since the newspaper wrote that-" _the Latina trailed off and said._ _"_Oh, fuck… you are such a joy killer, Berry._"_

"_I'm happy to know that I'm good for something."_

"You know what I mean!_" Rachel could picture Santana rolling her eyes perfectly. "_Besides, what it's wrong with you? That redheaded is a hot piece of ass, you would be a total idiot if you tell me that you don't want to be getting into her pants._"_

"_Maybe, if I'm drunk enough, I might do it."_

_Her best friend snorted and said. "_Of course, Broadway most popular pimp strikes again!_"_

"_Good morning, Rachel!" the barista behind the counter smiled widely at her. "What can I get you today?"_

"_Oh, Mary, you know me well enough to know what I want." The brunette replied with a wink, making her way to her usual table._

"_It'll be out in a second!" the petite dirty blonde said with colored cheeks, already turning around to start working on the star's breakfast._

"I can bet you my entire apartment right now, that her face is redder than a tomato, and I know for a fact that I wouldn't lose._" Santana stated, knowingly. Rachel casted a look to the flushed barista and laughed when she saw her stumbling over the coffee machine. "_You're like torturing her, every time you go back. Poor girl has had a crush on you since we first walked into that place._"_

"_It's not my fault if they make the best soy lattes in the city."_

"I think you should go out with her, maybe she'll surprise you by being what you have been looking for all along._"_

"_Please, Santana, we both know better than that." Rachel rolled her eyes and sighed. "I'm not looking for anything anymore, because when I finally got it, I let it go. I was stupid enough to let Quinn walk away from my life and now I have to live with the consequences of that decision."_

"Rachel…_"_

"_No. Don't pity me, I don't needed it." The brunette cut off her best friend dryly. "I'm happy, living as I am right now. I have really awesome friends and parents. I have a very active sex life… like I can literally call whoever I want, at any time, to keep me company if I feel alone. I'm pretty confident about taking the Oscar home in a few days and I already have two Tonys, an Emmy and four Grammys resting on my living room. Really, what else could I want?"_

"Love._" Santana replied simply. "_You think that you're cool now because your name might be known, by a humongous amount of people; but you still are the same annoying diva, with a heart of gold and always striving for the best, that you were five years ago. You can't fool me, Rachel Berry. I know that your dream back there was finding someone that loved you unconditionally. Again, I can bet my apartment against the fact that your dream haven't change one bit, and I wouldn't lose._"_

"_Yeah… you might want to call Brittany and tell her to look for a new house." She replied, laughing humorlessly. "I didn't realize, until it was too late, that she was my dream. That day in the auditorium, I told Quinn that, even though she said she loved me, I wasn't going to let her hold me back from my dreams… fuck me if I could have made a bigger mistake than that."_

"Nah, I don't feel like fucking right now._"_

"_Bite me, Santana." Rachel mumbled under her breath. "God, I can't believe that I was such an asshole to her."_

"I agree._" The Latina said, nonchalantly. "_Really, if I had known back them I would have showed up at your house ready to kick your ass just because how much a jerk you were._"_

"_Such for a supportive friend."_

"What can I say? Even if she's MIA, Quinn will forever be a part of the Unholy Trinity._" Santana sighed and added. "_Besides, you can't even start to imagine how hard telling you that confession must have been to Quinn. Putting aside the awful way in which you turned her down, coming to terms with your sexuality is downright terrifying and…_"_

"_Fucking hell, Santana." Rachel growled at her phone. "Can you shut up about it? I know all these things, okay. I know how hard it can be, accepting the fact that you are gay, that you are in love with a girl, that said girl is the one that has been making your life a living hell for so long, but that has a beautiful heart nonetheless. A heart that she put in my hands and a heart that I crushed because I was so damn scared of…"_

_The bells on the door rang through the buzzing place, announcing someone coming in or out. _

"Being scared, when it comes down to that kind of realization, it's not a bad thing, per se…"

"_Please, don't try to sugarcoat it for me." The brunette said, running a hand through her hair and sighing loudly. "Yes, it's okay to be scared from time to time; but the thing about it, though, is that if you let it control you, if you let that fear take over your decisions, you might miss out the greatest things life has to offer you."_

"I know you regret it, Rachel, but you need to move on in order to be really happy._" A shadow stood behind her, and Rachel motioned to Mary to put her food on the table without looking at her. _

_She was way too caught up in this conversation to even pay attention._

"_I know that, Santana. But what if I don't want to move on? What if I want to live stuck in the '_what if…_' forever?" she confessed in a whisper. "What if I had stopped her? What if I had realized that I was in love with her a lot sooner? What if she had been there when I came to her house the next morning?" she let her shoulders fall, defeated. "Maybe, just maybe, Quinn would have never disappear from my life and-"_

"_You came looking for me?" a voice said behind her. _

_When she heard it, Rachel dropped her phone and turned around with wide eyes, coming face to face with a very shocked Quinn Fabray._

"_Oh my God…" the brunette mumbled, staring into stunning hazel eyes with her jaw almost hitting the floor._

"Rachel? What's going on…? Don't leave me talking to myself!_" Santana's voice boomed through the speakers and when Quinn saw that Rachel was froze to the ground, she bent down and picked up the cellphone just as the Latina was saying. "_Look, I'm sorry that I brought up Quinn in the first place, I shouldn't have, really. I just don't like to see my best friend upset and… I swear to God, Berry, that if you don't answer to me right now I'm going to kick your skinny ass so hard that you hardly will be able to dance on your show next week."

"_It's good to know that you still as charming as ever, S." _

_It took Santana almost a full minute to register the blonde's words until she sort of blurted out a few words. "_Quinn? Is that you?_"_

"_Yes."_

"Holy fuck I can't believe that… Ay Dios mio! Is Rachel okay?_"_

_The blonde casted a look at her former friend and frowned worriedly when she saw the brunette still staring at her, but without really focusing on anything._

"_She's like lost inside her mind… almost as if she were in shock, or something. I think it would be good if you can come pick her up because I really have to go and…" at the blonde's last words, Rachel finally snapped out of her stupor. _

"_No, it's okay. I'm fine, really, you don't need to-"_

"I'll be there in 20 minutes._" Santana said, ignoring her best friend and quickly hanging up. _

"_Are you sure that you are fine?" Quinn asked, taking in the brunette's extremely pale face and the slight trembling of her hands. "I'm really sorry, I didn't meant to startle you like that. I just walked in and saw you and after all this time I thought it would be a good idea to say hello and finally reconnect with you, but then I heard what you said and I couldn't…" _

_The blonde's rant trailed off as soon as Rachel focused her deep brown eyes in hers. The emotions swimming on them were completely overwhelming and Quinn forced herself to sit down, in order to regain control of her feelings._

"_Is it true?" Quinn suddenly asked, after a few minutes of silence between them. "Did you went to my house the next day?"_

_Rachel, who was still looking at her as if the blonde were a ghost, cleared her throat and nodded. "I needed to talk to you, but as soon as I got there, first thing in the morning, your mother told me that you..."_

"_I left Lima right after what happened in the auditorium, yes." Quinn said, softly. "What did you needed to tell me that morning, anyways? You left everything perfectly clear after I kissed you. You said it was a mistake. You told me you didn't wanted me to ruin your dreams or hold you back. You rejected my love, Rachel." Quinn whispered, almost brokenly. "Why the hell, after all that, would you have come to my house looking for me?"_

"_Because I went to tell you that…"_

"_No, you know what? Don't tell me." The blonde cut her off, shaking her head and standing up. "That was five years ago and I'm already over that heartbreak. There's no point in digging up the past out of its grave."_

"_I know that, Quinn, but you need to hear me out." The brunette pleaded, standing up and going after her. "I made a mistake that day, yes, but it wasn't the kiss…"_

"_No! You don't get to do this to me!" Quinn whispered harshly, pushing the door open and stepping out to the New York cold winter with the singer following her close behind. "I'm happy, Rachel." She turned around to fully face the brunette, breathing heavily and trying to ignore the tears in the stunning brown eyes that still appeared on her dreams, more often than not. "I have finally taken my life down the right path and this time, I'm the one that doesn't want _you_ holding _me_ back with something that _could have been_ between us."_

_They stared at each other for what seemed like centuries, but in reality were only seconds. Rachel was silently crying, looking at Quinn with the regret that she has been carrying on her shoulders for years and such love that then blonde had to look away._

_Quinn closed her eyes and tried to erase from her mind the pain in Rachel's eyes, to no avail. "I'm sorry that I approached you today. If I had known that you were going to become so upset I would have just walked out of that bistro and…" she trailed off when Rachel didn't answered her, and sighed. "I better go. I'm already late for an appointment and well… It was good to see you, Rachel. And I'm happy for you. I'm glad to know that your dreams came true."_

_Without waiting for an answer, the blonde turned around and started walking away. Just like she had done so long ago._

_But this time was different because Rachel was no longer confused. She knew what she wanted now. And what she wanted was Quinn Fabray._

"_Quinn!" She ran after the blonde and took her left hand, stopping her. "I can't let you go, not for the…" the words died on her throat she felt a cold rock with her fingertips._

_The brunette looked down, fear creeping all the way up to her chest, just to be met with a stunning engagement ring on Quinn's hand._

"_You are getting married." Rachel whispered in a surprised tone._

"_I am." Quinn confirmed, not looking at the brunette in her eyes. "Next week."_

"_Oh God…" the singer let go of the blonde's hand, taking a step backwards and putting a hand to her chest, as if she were trying to keep it together that way. "I can't believe that…"_

"_Fabray!" someone yelled behind Rachel. She looked up to see Quinn's face pale even more and then turned around, watching a brunette quickly walking towards them. "I don't understand what's taking you so long! I only send you to get me a coffee!" the girl finally made it to where they were standing and sneaked a hand around the blonde's waist. "Where is it, then? And what are you doing out here? It's freezing cold!" _

"_I… umm, I forgot the coffee." Quinn mumbled, still staring at Rachel with concern. "I ran into an old acquaintance and well, you know how I am sometimes." _

"_Oh my God!" the brunette squeaked, looking at the petite singer with wide eyes. "You are Rachel Berry! You're the Broadway start that just won another Tony for her debut in the revival of Wicked!" she said excitedly, pulling at the blonde's arm and smiling widely. "We are your hugest fans! Aren't we, babe?" she asked the blonde._

"_Yeah, we are." Quinn replied without taking her eyes off Rachel, who was looking back at her with incredibly sad eyes._

_The other girl kept talking, completely oblivious to what was going on. "Last year, I took Quinn to the opening of Wicked when I heard of the revival. I must confess that I was a bit anxious because even though you weren't just a new face, Elphaba is a lot to handle and I didn't wanted you to ruin my favorite musical; but you, my darling, were absolutely stunning that day! My fiancée ended up in tears after your redemption of _Defying Gravity_ and she loved you so much that, whenever we are back in town, your show it's a must see."_

"_I'm… wow. I don't even know what to say," Rachel mumbled, because the idea of having Quinn Fabray so close to her all this time but now knowing about it was just too shocking. "Umm, thanks, I guess."_

"_Oh! I cannot believe I am talking to you! Can you, babe?" the brunette said, not even looking at Quinn. "I bet she's just quiet because she can't believe she's meeting a Broadway star." She winked at Rachel and nudged the blonde's ribs. "This one over here is a closeted fan of musicals."_

"_Who would have thought?" the singer whispered under her breath, still staring at a pair of confused hazel eyes._

"_Right? I would have never guessed, either, if it wasn't because I saw the mesmerized way in which she was looking at you belt out all those songs in the opening night." Apparently, Quinn had managed to get engaged with the only person that could talk even more than Rachel, because the girl wouldn't simply shut up. "I mean, you had her completely under your spell, so much, that I was even jealous!" she laughed and finally looked up at Quinn. "Come on, babe, say something!" she nudge her again, this time a bit harder, but finally managing to make the blonde look away._

"_Oh, right… sorry." The blonde cleared her throat and said. "Rachel, this is my fiancée, Roxanna Harland. Rox, this is Rachel Berry, an old acquaintance." _

"_You know each other?" Roxanna practically screamed. "Oh my God, this is awesome! Why didn't you tell me before, babe? I cannot believe our luck!" she kept saying, forcing the brunette to smile politely at her while avoiding Quinn's gaze._

_Rachel couldn't look at Quinn's eyes and see the happiness in them. She couldn't look up to be met with a wide smile that wasn't for her or because of her. She couldn't look up and realize that she could have been the one with the arm around the blonde's waist. She couldn't look and see that Quinn wasn't hers just because she had been stupid enough to let her go in the first place._

_She just couldn't._

"…_And it would be an honor for us if you could come to our wedding and-"_

"_I'm sorry-" Rachel asked, finally paying attention to the conversation in front of her. "What?"_

"_I was wondering if you would like to come to our wedding, next week." Roxanna said. "We are going to celebrate it in New Jersey, because all my family is from there, and since you and Quinn seem to know each other from a while back, I believe it would be a good idea if you come." She smiled hopefully and then winked at Quinn. "And who knows, maybe we get lucky and you sing something for us in the reception." Roxanna giggled and leaned in, kissing Quinn's lips softly. _

_The action was something completely normal between a couple, but for Rachel, that simple kiss and the small smile that crept on Quinn's face after it was enough to break her heart._

"_Umm… I don't think…"_

"_Rox, I'm pretty sure she already has plans." Quinn finally spoke, sounding apologetically and looking at Rachel with a sudden pity that made the brunette almost puke because of how sick to her stomach she was feeling at the moment. "It was such a short noticed and she is, after all, a huge star so…"_

"_Yes, but maybe she can-"_

"_Rachel!" to the brunette's ears, Santana's voice sounded like heaven. She was already falling apart and she didn't know how much longer she could keep her polite façade in front of the happy couple. Her heart and soul were completely crushed. "I have been looking for you everywhere!" the Latina walked towards them, putting a hand around her waist as soon as she reached them._

"_Hello Santana." Quinn said awkwardly, looking down at her ex best friend hand around Rachel's waist and frowning a bit before adding. "It's nice to see you."_

"_Same here." the girl replied in a cold tone, turning then to Roxanna and sticking her hand out. "Santana Lopez, Rachel's favorite girl." _

_The blonde winced a little at the way in which the Latina introduced herself, but kept otherwise quiet._

"_Roxanna Harland, Quinn's fiancée and a huge fan of Rachel!" she replied cheerfully. _

_Santana raised an eyebrow when she heard the word 'fiancée' and looked down the to ring in the blonde's hand, sighing and little bit and saying. "It's a pleasure to meet you." The Latina replied to the girls before squeezing the singer's waist and saying. "Now if you excuse us, Rachel is a bit late for her interview, so we have to get going."_

"_Oh," Quinn tried to hide her obvious disappointment but Santana saw right through it. "Okay, then. I'm glad I got to see you, Rachel." She said, trying to get one last glance at the brunette's eyes but sighing defeated when the singer buried her face on the Latina's neck. "You too, Lopez." Quinn added a bit more bitterly than intended when the girl pulled Rachel closer to her._

"_Take care, Fabray." Santana said, smirking when she saw the clear jealousy reflected on hazel eyes. "And congratulations on the wedding!" _

_Rachel shivered against her at her words and the Latina hugged her closer._

"_Thank you." Roxanna replied happily, taking Quinn's had and pulling her in the opposite direction. "It was awesome to meet you, Rachel!"_

"_Same to you." The singer whispered, finally looking up and fixing her eyes on the love of her life. "Goodbye, Quinn."_

"_Goodbye, Rachel." Quinn mumbled back, looking at her with sad eyes before mouthing 'I'm sorry' and turning around, walking away from her once again._

_This time was different than before, though, because when Rachel looked down at the blonde's hand, interlocked with her fiancée's and the ring shining on it, the brunette knew she had lost Quinn Fabray and the possibility of a future together, forever._

_At the realization, a sob cut through her chest and Rachel started shaking against violently against Santana's side._

"_Hold on tight, just hang in there a bit more." The Latina whispered in her ear, hugging her tightly and guiding her through the crowded street. "We are almost at the car, just a few seconds more and you can let go." _

_They stopped next to a car, and an a part of Rachel's brain registered Santana letting go of her, being immediately replaced by another warm hand squeezing her shoulder, giving her support and offering a bit of comfort. _

_Brittany._

"_It will be okay, Rach, the pain will pass." Her other best friend tried to reassure her._

"_I lost her, Britt." Rachel mumbled, wrapping her arm tightly around the dancer's shirt when she finally climbed to the back seat of Santana's car. "I let her go back then. I lost her forever and it's all my fault." _

_She broke down on the blonde's shoulder; feeling her heart break in little pieces and feeling the pain make a permanent home on her soul. Her best friends were whispering words of comfort and encouragement to her, but she couldn't really hear them. _

_Because she had lost the love of her life once again, and now everything was over._

* * *

><p>"The song is about losing that only thing that you ever really wanted because of a simple, stupid error." Rachel said, after almost a full minute of silence. "We have all made mistakes. It's normal, it's human… it's sad."<p>

She looked at Santana and Brittany and smiled weakly at them.

"And writing '_Losing My Soul_' was my way to cope with the pain those mistakes brought along."

"That's really intense." Jacob looked at her with wide eyes and then turning to the main camera, added. "Wow! Let's take a short break, shall we?" He's announcement was met with a chorus of '_buuuu_' and he cleared his throat. "But be ready to be once again blown away by the amazing voice of Rachel Berry! She will be singing her favorite cover, also featured in _Gardenias for Lucia_, called '_The Light'_. Stay tuned!"

The public started clapping excitedly and the studio light's deemed a bit, while the crew started getting the stage ready for Rachel.

"You were amazing." Jacob said, leaning towards the singer and giving her what he thought was his sexy smirk, but instead came out as a weirdly creepy look. "And you still as beautifully stunning as always, of course."

"Oh, back the hell off, Jewfro!" Santana said, walking behind Brittany and towards them with a deep frown on her face. "I know you still a pervert but let me tell you, I have pretty damn good lawyers so, unless you don't want your pathetic career vanished in a second, you better stay away from my ladies."

"I… I'm not-"

"Just walk away, Jacob and give us a minute alone." Brittany said, already taking a seat on Rachel's lap and turning to look at her with kind eyes.

The man stood up and left even before Santana had a chance to glare at him a bit more. The singer took off her shirt the small microphone and turning it off, she put it on the table besides her.

"You are always so incredibly good in everything you do." Britt gushed, making Santana and Rachel roll their eyes at her for two different reasons.

The former annoyed and the other amused.

"She's just being the diva she always is." The Latina said, punching her best friend's shoulder slightly and keeping her voice low, being conscious of the crowd behind them. "But seriously, though… how are you holding up?"

"I'm doing perfectly fine." Rachel answered quickly, staring at the brunette in confusion. "Haven't you been seeing me, Santana? I am handling Jacob Ben Israel as well as I always did back in McKinley and… where in the name of Barbra does he thinks he's going?" she cut herself in the middle of her statement.

Curious, Santana and Brittany followed Rachel's gaze just in time to see Jacob exciting the studio.

"Okay, I swear to God I didn't scare him _that_ bad."

"Yeah, well, that certainly isn't normal." The blonde murmured and then motioned for one of the PA's to approach them.

"How can I help you, Miss Pierce?" asked a young girl as soon as she was in front of them.

"Where did Jacob go? He is aware that we are in the middle of the show, right?"

"Yes, he is." The girl said in a small voice, eyeing Santana carefully and then turning to look at Rachel with awed eyes. "He's just checking some last minute stuff, nothing to worry about, Miss Berry."

"TWO MINUTES UNTIL WE GO LIVE!"

"I'll bring you your microphone right away." The PA said quickly before walking towards the sound check station.

"That was weird." Brittany stated, frowning a bit and staring at the door that Jacob was supposed to come back in at any moment. "And that, coming from me, it's never a good thing."

Rachel laughed, and then said. "Seriously guys, calm down a bit. I'm doing fine… I won't even hesitate this time, I promise."

"Yeah, that's what you say now." Santana rolled her eyes and added in a much more softer and caring voice. "You are about to sing _'The Light'_, Rachel. Even if the words are simple and the music is stunning, we all know that, as soon as you open your mouth, it will mean the world to you." Santana's words hit her with the force of a brick but she managed to stay still. "Do you remember what happened the last time you sang that song?"

A flashback of one of the most horrible moments in her life passed through her mind and the singer shuddered.

"Yes, of course I remember." Rachel replies bitterly to Santana. "It's not like every day you see someone on stage break into incontrollable sobs while singing a duet with Sara Bareilles."

Brittany winced a little at the mention of what happened and then said with a small smile. "Yeah, that's something for the books, alright." Her fiancée glanced at her for a moment and the blonde's smile dropped instantly. "Sorry…"

Sighing, the Latina shook her head and stared into brown eyes once again.

"What I'm trying to get across here is… how do you know it won't happen again?"

"I don't…"

"ONE MINUTE UNTIL WE GO LIVE!"

"Please, Rach, please don't sing that song if you can't handle it." Santana pleaded, taking the brunette hands in hers and squeezing it hard, trying to transmit with that simple gesture how worried she really was about her best friend.

"Miss Berry, here's your microphone." The young PA handled her the sparkling object and hushed her to the stage. "Please take your place."

"In a second." Rachel replied hurriedly. She turned to Santana and Brittany and hugged them quickly at the same time. "There's something about today, you know? It's one of those few days when you just wake up thinking that you need to just forget all your fears and let myself be because everything it's about to change." She explained as best as she could, wrapping the microphone tightly in her hands and sensing the adrenaline rush, that singing always gave her, already starting to take over her body.

Rachel loved that sensation more than anything else in the world because, right now, it was the only thing that could make her feel completely alive.

"It kinds of feels as if something really big it's going to happen. You know it, and you also know that no matter what it is, it will be for the better, because it is finally time for me to move on and be better. Feel better. So yes, I am ready to sing a song that means everything to me because I am ready to put myself on the edge of the cliff one more time and take my last leap of faith."

"I trust you, Rach… but please, be careful." the Latina mumbled, kissing the back of her hand before slowly letting go of it.

"And protect your heart." Brittany said too, smiling a bit more brightly at her.

"I promise." Rachel said confidently to her best friends before waving happily at them and running towards the stage to take her place in the middle of it, facing her very anxious public.

"And five, four, three, two, one…" a voice sounded before all the lights came back to life and the public erupted in a huge wave of enthusiastic applause.

"And we are back to _Sitting With A Star_!" Jacob appeared out of nowhere as soon as all the cameras started doing their jobs once again. He smirked at the girl as if he knew something that she didn't and Rachel felt the sudden urge of grabbing his arm and shook him hard until he confessed his prank. Clearly, now wasn't the time for such evil thoughts.

She was about to give a life changing performance, after all.

"Our extremely special guest tonight is the legendary Rachel Berry!" he beamed at her as the crowd went wild one more time. "As just like I promise you guys, she's about to sing what most definitely was called by _The Rolling Stones_ in last month's collector's edition: '_the best cover the world has ever seen_' of Sara Bareille's _The Light_." Every single person went nuts at his words and he turned his head towards the singer and winked at her. "Take us home and beyond, Rachel."

By now, the screams of her fans calling her name were almost deafening.

The brunette took a deep breath, closed her eyes and nodded to the band, giving them the signal to start.

The excitement of the public died down as soon as the melody started to play.

The thrilling sensation that had Rachel's heart beating faster than ever had intensified greatly and she could already feel the first words slipping out of her mouth with such emotion that she could barely keep her knees in place.

The verses of the song cut through the air with the same force than a speeding car hits a wall.

The brunette was pulling every single bit of her soul in that performance and it seemed as if everyone else could notice this too, because they were in complete and stunned silence. They were in the presence of the rare and extremely beautiful moment of a woman finally finding herself after years of being a lost mess inside of an open heart.

Rachel paused a bit just as she reached the chorus.

This was the hardest part because it meant everything she always wanted to hear and yet it was everything she was never going to have.

With her eyes still closed and keeping the tears barely at bay, she prepared to launch herself into what was finally supposed to be her closure; or at least, the beginning of the end of a turbulent and painful, yet amazing, past.

Skin tingling with anticipation, Rachel's lungs filled with fresh air and her eyes fluttered open, taking everything around her in. But just as she was about to jump back into the song full-force, another voice: a sweet, caring, beautiful and extremely familiar voice beat her to it.

And the whole universe came to a stop.

_And if you say, "Be alright"_

_I'm gonna trust you, babe_

_I'm gonna look in your eyes_

_And if you say, "Be alright"_

_I'll follow you into the light_

Quinn Fabray was there.

Standing right besides her; singing with Rachel while pouring all her heart into the lyrics and staring into the singer's big, beautiful brown eyes with the very same intensity that she used back in the auditorium, that bittersweet day, when Quinn declared to be in love with Rachel for the first and last time.

* * *

><p><strong>So... did you liked it? Should I leave it like that or should I do a sequel? It's up to you guys, so let me know your pick!<strong>

**Hugs&Kisses**

**Hajabeg**


	2. Chapter 2

_Songs are __**"Come Back Down"**__ by Greg Laswell & Sara Bareilles and __**"To Whom It May Concern"**__ by The Civil Wars._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p><em><strong>I'll Follow You Into The Light<strong>_

"Stop pacing."

"Sorry." She mumbled, but didn't halt as she turned around and kept walking the entire length of the small room.

"That's enough, Quinn." Her best friend stood up and grabbed her shoulders. "You're driving me crazy."

"I'm sorry, it's just... this is… Am I doing the right thing, Mike?" she asked, leaning into his strong embrace and silently praying for a positive outcome out of all this mess.

"What's going on, Fabray?" he asked gently, running his hand through her hair as carefully as possible. "What happened to the strong and confident girl that brought us here in the first place?"

Quinn sighed deeply at Mike's ministrations and whispered. "I'm terrified."

"Of what?"

"What if she turns me down again? What if I misread our previous encounter and mess everything up. I mean, for all I know, she can be happy with someone else. And me, dancing into her life without a care in the world would be just… It's not fair. She deserves to be happy."

"And so do you, Quinn." The boy told her sternly. "You deserve to be happy just because you have gone through hell and back. You deserve to love and be loved the way you want to be, and we both know that Rachel Berry is the only person that can provide you that."

"But what if Roxanna was right? What if I do_–_"

"Okay, first of all, don't you even dare pay attention to anything she ever said to you." Mike cut her off with a serious tone. "And second of all… do you remember how you felt when you realized for the first time that you were in love with Rachel?"

The blonde thought for a moment about one of her favorite, yet bittersweet memories and immediately, a big smile split her face in two.

"Of course I remember that." She said softly, tracing one of her fingers over her right wrist. "I couldn't forget it even if I wanted to."

"That's the answer to all your doubts then." Mike whispered. "There you have it."

* * *

><p><em>Quinn Fabray was annoyed.<em>

_It was the middle of the summer between junior and senior year._

_All the Beth stuff was seriously taking a toll on her. She has been dealing with a lot of crap and not knowing how to process it all, Quinn now was going through a rebel and full-on denial phase, even if she didn't want it to accept it just yet. It was her way of lashing out. Quinn's only form to protect herself from everything at once._

_Besides, her new look had certainly been a hit._

_Her black, dirty and ripped clothes had –by all means– nothing to do with her previous _'sundresses and everything vintage'_ style. The cigar hanging on her ear was enough to make people look at her with disgust. And if you added to that combination her bright, short pink hair and her body full of fake piercing and tattoos, it didn't come as a surprise that people now thought of Quinn Fabray, former HBIC of William McKinley High School, as a pariah._

_Well, is not like she even cared anymore, anyways._

_The ex cheerleader was walking through the streets of Lima's principal avenue, looking for something mildly entertained to do._

_Her new friends, the Skanks, have bailed on her in order to go get some new packs of weed; the only thing Quinn had set down foot in not doing. They were out of the picture, and so was her mom, because even thought she moved back into the Fabray house, Judy was still the same kind of weak, drunk, fanatic-catholic and insensitive woman. The only difference now was that her downright bastard of a husband wasn't controlling her anymore._

_Quinn kept thinking of options while she walked towards her favorite old coffee shop. Because, hey, even in her new stage of life, she couldn't not appreciate the best coffee on town. Plus, they had live music every other day and it was usually really, really good._

_She didn't actually talked to Brittany or Santana anymore, because being seen with two cheerleaders now wouldn't be good for the new image she was trying to portrait, or so said the Skanks. And every other member of the Glee club was out of question. Since she wasn't planning on returning to the New Directions for their last year of school, Quinn have been avoiding every single one of them like she would do if they were a plague._

_But surely, there was something –anything– else she could do with her free time… right?_

_The pink haired girl entered the place with a defeated sigh and a hidden worm out copy of _A Midsummer Night's Dream_, her favorite book. Reading was something she could never get tired of doing, no matter what was going on with her life; because immersing into another reality and caring about the character's life and stories was something that always gave her perspective._

_Quinn loved to read, because it was the only time in which she really felt free. It was the only opportunity where she could be herself, even if it was just for a moment and only on her mind._

"_Hey Tom." She waved at the college boy that was behind the counter as she approached him._

"_Fabray!" he greeted her, still writing something down and then raised an eyebrow when he finally looked up. "Long time no see."_

"_I have been kind of busy." She mumbled, rolling her eyes at herself and the stupid depressed mood in which she has been lately._

"_I bet." He smiled kindly at her and then winked. "I'm digging the new look… just, don't smoke in here, okay?"_

_When Quinn nodded, he clapped his hand and said._

"_Alright then, what can I get you?"_

"_Same as always."_

"_Got it." He started working on the machine and said. "It'll be done in just a few minutes and I'll take the coffee to you. Why don't you go take your usual seat in the back? The show it's about to start and I trust that you'll pay me later."_

"_Sure thing." The girl replied, already excited for the performances to come and making her way to the back of the shop._

_One of the most important reasons as to why Quinn loved this place so much was the fact that, for free, the blonde was able to see and hear sing artists that had a huge amount of talent. They played live all the time, and the performances were usually so good that the crowd always asked for an encore._

_And the musicians never disappointed their public._

_From electronica, to alternative punk, to jazz and many others. The ex cheerleader enjoyed all kinds of music and that's why she kept coming back to this hidden place over and over again._

"_Good afternoon!" a young boy, no older than Tom, took the stage with a big smile on his face. "How are you all doing today?"_

_Since the place was packed with people, the reply to his simple question was noisy and enthusiastic._

"_My name is Collin and I'll be your guy for the rest of the day." He secured a guitar around his shoulders and after sighing softly, said. "This song is called _'Til Kingdom Come_, enjoy!"_

_His performance was flawless. Collin's voice was smooth and soft, plus, he managed to hit all the high notes so perfectly that, at the end of the song, everyone was on their feet, clapping and begging for more._

"_He's good, isn't he?" Tom asked when he got to her table, coffee and a small piece of cheesecake in hand. Quinn nodded and the barista sighed loudly. "His voice is so dreamy."_

_The pink-haired girl raised an eyebrow at her almost friend and said in a mocking tone. "Oh, you like the new musician, don't you?"_

"_Sweetheart, if I didn't like him he certainly wouldn't be tapping this fine behind." Tom pointed to his butt and then broke into a wave of laughter at the sight of Quinn's scandalized face. "Relax a little, honey. Being so uptight will do no good to your skin."_

_The girl growled at him for a few seconds before returning his radiant and amused smirk with a small smile of her own._

"_I'm happy for you."_

"_Thank you!" he squeezed Quinn's hands and she returned the gesture almost immediately. Being there, surrounded by music and people who's only concern was having a good time, made her feel as if she could really be herself, free of any kinds of pressure or problems._

_This little coffee shop was her sanctuary. Her perfect 'hiding' spot. Her secret place. Hers and only hers._

"_Oh, this is the good part!" Tom gushed excitedly. "Collin has been wanting to do this since his first night, but his friend was never available." The boy looked at the stage for a while, with his eyes shinning full of emotions, before he turned his attention back to Quinn and smiled at her. "I'm going to move over the front so I can have a closer look at this performance." The barista explained. "Enjoy the rest of the show, my punk-y friend!"_

_Quinn laughed at his ridiculous nickname and waved him goodbye as she shouted. "You too!"_

_Collin rejoined the stage again, and if it was even possible, his smile was even wider than before._

"_Okay guys," he started setting up another microphone stand and then walking towards a connected keyboard as he kept explaining. "Tonight, one of my very dear friends from temple has finally decided to honor me with her company in a few performances that will absolutely enchant you all because of her amazing voice." Everyone laughed, and Collin winked to someone standing hidden behind the stage. "And she loves to sing her feelings, so, I assure you that things are about to become pretty intense… please, give it up for Rachel Berry!"_

_The tiny diva waved and beamed at the cheering public as she took her rightful place behind the microphone stand and turned back to count off her friend. "I hope you all enjoy this evening as much as I'm about to do. Hit it, C!"_

_The beautiful intro of the song started playing, startling Quinn Fabray out of her shock and successfully pulling her attention back to the duet that was about to take place._

Come on all your good friends are here

Waiting this one out

You've got to come back down

You've got to come back down

_Collin sang the first part of the song perfectly. He smiled at Rachel and then winked playfully when the brunette started singing her part, joining him smoothly and immediately managing to wake up the butterflies living on Quinn's stomach._

Look around you; you're the only one

Dragging this out

You've got to come back down

You've got to come back down

_Rachel took the microphone into her hands, loosing herself completely into the song and letting her feelings come through the words she was singing at the moment._

All of your wallowing is unbecoming

All of your wallowing is unbecoming

_Quinn watched, still completely enthralled with the brunette on stage, how the girl started to dance slowly in her place. Rachel's hips moving rhythmically from side to side as Collin urged the crowd to clap along the song._

You've got to take it on your own from here

It's getting pathetic and I'm almost done here

You've got to take it on your own from here

It's getting pathetic and I'm almost done here

What you set out to kill off

Has been gone sometime now

You've got to come back down

You've got to come back down

_The boy stepped closer to his microphone and sang his part with a small smirk plastered on his face. Rachel blushed slightly under Collin's knowing gaze and for a moment, Quinn wondered if she was missing the important message that was hidden behind the lyrics of the song._

Head out any further

And you might just forget how

You've got to come back down

You've got to come back down

_By now, everyone was on their feet clapping and singing the chorus as if they knew the song by heart all along. The pink-haired girl saw the couple on the stage give even more passion to the words and win their public without even having to try for it. To be quite honest, Quinn had to admit that both Rachel and Collin sounded amazing together._

_And indisputably so much better than the brunette could even sound when singing alongside with New Direction's 'golden boy', Finn Hudson._

All of your wallowing is unbecoming

All of your wallowing is unbecoming

You've got to take it on your own from here

It's getting pathetic and I'm almost done here

You've got to take it on your own from here

It's getting pathetic and I'm almost done here

_The song died down until they were singing just one verse. Again and again, making the punk girl wonder just to whom Rachel was redirecting the words. Making the former cheerleader wonder why her heart was beating so fast at the sight of the brunette performing on the stage._

You've got to come back down

_Quinn couldn't even start to figure out the meaning behind the song when Rachel finally spotted her. The crowd was still clapping and cheering loudly. Collin was bowing every now and then and bumping his hips with Rachel while laughing, but the brunette was no longer paying attention to his friend or the people worshiping her because of how amazing she has been. The tiny diva simply couldn't concentrate on anything else because her eyes didn't seem to leave the beautiful creature sitting in a dark corner at the back of the coffee place._

"_So, how awesome was that?" Collin's breathy voice pulled Rachel out of her trance and the girl finally moved her eyes back to the still cheering crowd with a smile. "I told you my friend Rachel was amazing!"_

"_Let's face it, you're the musician here, C." The brunette laughed. _"_But I seriously hope I didn't disappoint any of you tonight!"_

_A big chorus of 'NO' echoed across the place and if possible, the girl smiled wider._

"_That's what I wanted to hear." Rachel joked easily. "What about another song?" she asked, earning another wave of wild clapping and cheering._

_The brunette owned the crowd right now, that much was a given. And she was exuding such confidence and comfort while standing on that stage that Quinn couldn't help but stare at her former teammate completely enthralled by what she was seeing._

_This wasn't Rachel Barbra Berry, the Broadway maniac, control freak, egocentric diva and sometimes really selfish captain of New Direction's glee club._

_This was just Rachel. A girl that was completely relaxed while performing together with a good friend, on a small stage and with only a few people watching them. Quinn was in the presence of someone that was having a great time doing what she loved doing most: singing._

"_Since that first performance was a bit…"_

"_Bitter." Collin provided for the girl, making everyone laugh good-heartedly. "Sorry!" he quickly said, pulling his hands up in the air when Rachel glared at him playfully._

"_Anyways, what about we change the mood of the room a bit, C?"_

"_Spike it up, maybe? Or would you rather something more 'lay back and relax' style?" he easily kept up with the banter, even though Quinn could already tell that the brunette knew what she was going to sing next._

_Rachel eyes were always extremely easy to read for her… but the pink-haired girl completely refused to take into account such fact because, to know something so personal like that, meant that Quinn had spent more time studying the petite brunette than she should or would have liked._

"_I think we have to show the crowd my guitar skills. I mean, this could be like my test, since you are my teacher and all that." Rachel winked at the public, making them laugh. "Don't you guys think that's a good idea?"_

"_YES!" someone screamed, and Quinn chuckled under her breath when she realized that the excited fan was no other than Tom._

"_Your wishes are my orders, love." Collin smiled at his boyfriend and then passed a guitar to Rachel. "You better not mess this up!"_

"_Like I would ever." She replied, adjusting the instrument between her arms and then saying. "This song is seriously one of the most amazing pieces The Civil Wars has ever written. And not only is my favorite from them, but it's also a message that I hope my soul mate will hear someday." Her piercing brown eyes stared at Quinn's with intensity as Rachel breathed into the microphone. "_To Whom It May Concern_."_

Why are you so far from me?

In my arms is where you ought to be

_Collin's voice started soft and smooth, just like the words coming out of his mouth, and the way the Rachel's fingers caressed over the chords of the guitar. But what came as an unexpected surprise to the skank, though, wasn't the girl's excellent ability to play guitar._

_What stunned the former cheerleader was the song choice, because upon hearing the familiar melody, Quinn's whole body instantly froze right then and there._

_The pink-haired girl knew this particular song better that anyone because The Civil Wars was one of her favorite bands. And this piece of information was something that Rachel Berry knew perfectly, because she had caught the blonde listening to them more than a few times whenever she arrived early to the choir room. Hell, Quinn could even bet her arm that, even when the brunette never mentioned it, it has been Rachel the one that was behind the very beautifully decorated gif basket that had appeared at the doorstep of her house a few weeks ago bearing a brand new copy of _Hamlet_ and the most recent Civil Wars' record called _Bartow Hollows_._

_But still…_

_No, this situation simply couldn't be what she was imagining._

How long will you make me wait?

I don't know how much more I can take

_Quinn lifted her eyes to meet Rachel's intense stare and the mix of powerful emotions that she found shinning in those amazing chocolate orbs made the girl shiver from head to toe. Because there was something in Rachel's eyes that was screaming at Quinn to listen to what was being said._

_There was something unique in the way the tiny diva was performing._

_Usually, Rachel would turn her body to the audience and give everything she had to them. But today, the brunette's full attention was completely focused on the skank and only her. And a part of Quinn could feel it, because it was almost as if, for Rachel, no one else but them existed in that moment._

I miss you

But I haven't met you

Oh but I want to

How I do

_The lights on the place subsided to match the mood of the song and the romantic atmosphere that was suddenly very present in the room. Everyone was swaying in their places, and some couples were even kissing each other or staring at their partners lovingly._

_Collin walked a bit to the side of the stage and took Tom's hands in his, singing directly at him._

Slowly counting down the days

Till I finally know your name

_Rachel smiled at his friends and then, much to Quinn's surprise, the brunette hopped off the stage and started making her way towards the former blonde. Eyes still focused on each other, making it impossible for Quinn to move and escape, but at the same time allowing the punk girl to read everything Rachel's soul was showing her through the girl's eyes._

Ooh the way your hand feels round my waist

The way you laugh

The way your kisses taste

_God, has Rachel Berry's voice always been so stunning and… deep? Quinn, for the life of her, couldn't remember a time in which she had felt as much as she was feeling right now just by hearing Rachel sing to _her.

_No, that was a lie._

_The ex cheerleader still had in her bedroom a very worm out CD with a copy of New Direction's _Keep Holding On_, the very first song Rachel had sang to her, and the very same song Quinn always listened to when she felt like giving up._

I missed you

But I haven't met you

Oh but I want to

How I do, how I do

_But this wasn't just a performance. This wasn't the brunette singing to her along with a couple of friends. This wasn't the diva showing a kinder side towards one of her teammates. No. This was Rachel Berry singing to Quinn Fabray because she wanted too. This was Rachel Berry standing in front of Quinn Fabray, practically imploring the blonde with her big and expressing brown eyes to understand what she was trying to silently say through the song._

I've missed you

But I haven't met you

Oh I missed you

I haven't met you

Oh but I want to

Oh how I want to

_And as if the last piece of the puzzle had finally found its way to its rightful place, every single feeling and thought inside of Quinn connected as one at last._

_The way she has always acted and reacted towards Rachel. Why she felt all different kinds of electricity whenever their skins came into contact. How her heart has broken when she slapped the brunette that night at their prom and the way in which Rachel had put the pieces together just by taking care of her instead of hating her. The feeling of dread in her stomach when the former blonde saw Finn kiss Rachel at Nationals. The butterflies on her belly when the tiny diva walked into the stage a few minutes ago. The way her heart wanted to beat out of her chest, right now, just because of the fervor with which Rachel was looking at her._

_Finally, everything made sense to Quinn Fabray… but that didn't meant that everything would be less terrifying._

Dear whoever you might be

_Collins melodious voice pulled the pink-haired girl out of her self-induce trance. The former cheerleader could feel her whole body buzzing at the realization that she was in love with no other that Rachel Barbra Berry. Her pupils were blown away in shock and her heartbeats were incredibly similar to sounds of The Lion King's infamous stampede._

I'm still waiting patiently

_Finalizing the song, Rachel let the guitar fall to her side and softly took Quinn's right hand, playing with the punk girl's slender fingers before growing some courage, bringing the hand to her lips and dropping a small and sweet kiss on the girl's wrist._

_Immediately, Quinn's entire body felt as if it were lit on fire. The sharp intake of breath the girl took wasn't lost on the brunette, who lifted her head enough to penetrate the skank's soul with her deep chocolate orbs. Licking her lips and not really thinking about what she was doing, Rachel leaned forward, in a clear attempt to start a kiss when Quinn pulled back, wide eyes and mouth half open._

_The rushed apologies were already on the brunette's mouth, but she didn't even get to use them because just a heartbeat after the former cheerleader pulled back, Quinn Fabray was already running out of the door and leaving a very hurt and confused Rachel Berry behind._

* * *

><p>"The song did deliver the message, because that was the day I realized, for the first time, that I was in love with her."<p>

"But you couldn't accept it, that's way you left Rachel there."

"Yes, I didn't accept that fact until much later." Quinn whispered softly under her breath. "You know, sometimes I think the reason why she turned me down in the auditorium was because I ran away from her that day in the café."

"Do you actually believe she did it to get back at you?"

"No, of course not! Her heart wouldn't have let her be so mean, Mike." The blonde said immediately, affection, desperation and confusion evident in her voice. "Somehow, she saw the real me. She was aware of how hurt and lost I was and she tried her best to help me find my way, which was something that she accomplished eventually. Rachel was the only person that worried about me, besides Brittany and Santana, when I quitted Glee club at the beginning of senior year." Quinn sighed, looking down. "She never stopped caring about me, even after I ran away from her because I was terrified. Even when she thought that I would never reciprocate her feelings, Rachel still wanted to be around me."

"Wait… what?" the Asian boy stared at his best friends surprised. "Rachel didn't know you loved her?"

"No." Quinn confessed sadly. "She wasn't aware of my feelings for her until I personally told her the day I left Lima for good."

"Oh. Do you think that's why she got back with Finn, then? Because she wanted someone to just love her?"

"I couldn't possibly know." The blonde muttered, feeling insecure because of what she was about to do once again. "I'm just… I spent the rest of the summer was so mad at myself for being a coward. It would have been so easy to just go to Rachel's house and kiss her senseless, but I was too worried about other people's opinion about me…

"Quinn–"

"If I had stayed with her, if I had faced the fact that I was in love with Rachel maybe we would have been together. Maybe she wouldn't have run straight to Finn's arms and none of this would have happened and…"

"Fabray!" Mike cut her off more forcefully, this time successfully gaining her attention. "This really isn't the right moment to think about _what ifs_. What's done it's done, remember?" he took her hand and squeezed it softly. "The only thing you should be focusing on right now has to be the fact that you are here to try and convince Rachel to give you another chance. Because that's what you want, right?"

"More than anything, yes."

"Then get your crap together and start thinking about what you're going to say to the girl of your dreams."

"But I don't know how to do that! How could I possibly be calm when the last time I spoke to her I was about to get married?" she snapped, standing up and starting to pace the room once again. "And I can't mess it up this time, because I'm pretty sure it's our last chance and–"

"If you weren't a girl, I would totally be slapping you right now." The Asian said, mildly amused. "Stop freaking out! You're Quinn Fabray, you're awesome and you are going to get your girl because Rachel Berry is your soul mate and no one can tell you differently."

"I bet Tina can." The blonde muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes when Mike glared at her. "I'm sorry… I'm just nervous, okay?"

"But you don't need to be." The boy sighed and took a seat in the armchair of her seat. "You have always had your way with the ladies, Fabray." Quinn rolled her eyes and Mike pushed her shoulder slightly. "You had Roxanna eating out of the palm of your hand just five minutes after she met you."

"Yeah, well, that turned out well, didn't it?" the blonde asked, somehow bitterly."

* * *

><p>"<em>Ninja!" Quinn greeted him over the phone, walking through the crowded hallways of JFK in a hurry.<em>

"Fabray? Isn't it like 2am over there?_" he asked confused. "_Wait, are you okay?_" he added just a second later, concern all over his voice._

"_I'm okay, Mikey-Mike." The blonde replied smiling._

"Offensive line, by the way._"_

"_Yeah, whatever." Quinn rolled her eyes and kept saying. "Listen, I just arrived at JFK and since Rox is in New Jersey and I refuse to ride a cab, I'm going to need you to give me a ride to my apartment."_

"Give me a second._" There was a pause, in which the blonde assumed her best friend was telling Tina what was going on, and then he was back on. "_Alright, I'll be there in half an hour, okay?_"_

"_Got it, and hurry up!"_

_The car ride back to her place, at the other end of the city, was mostly silent._

_Quinn was humming to one of Mercedes' new hit and Mike was tapping along in the wheel with her._

"_So, not that I'm complaining but what are you doing here one day early?" the Asian boy finally asked._

"_I'm getting married in three days, Mike. No matter how important, this wasn't exactly the best moment for business. Besides, it's my wedding day! I wanted to be here and make sure that everything goes according to what we planed."_

"_Cut the crap, Fabray."_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_We both know that you hate planning as much as Coach Sylvester hated Mr. Schue when we started school. And we also know that everything is perfectly fine, Roxanna herself told you that in the morning."_

_Glaring at her best friend, and sighing defeated because of how well Mike already knew her, Quinn confessed._

"_I rushed the production so they would wrap the exhibition on Florence much more sooner because I wanted to be here in time to see the Oscars live." When she saw the boy being to open his mouth to reprehend her, the blonde rushed out to say. "I can't _not_ watch her fulfill her dreams, Mike. You know that role was stunning and everyone knows she's going to win tonight. She'll be an EGOT recipient before she even hits 27, the youngest one in the story of the industry… I can't be there with her for that special moment, but that doesn't mean I'm going to miss it."_

"_Oh… Quinn." The boy let out a shake breath, reaching to take her best friend's hands and giving it a strong squish. Mike knew that tone of voice better than anyone; he knew that the blonde next to him was breaking inside. "You're getting married in a few days… if you ever want to be truly happy, you have to let Rachel go."_

"_I was finally doing it! But the universe likes to screw me over whenever it can't; therefore, I just had to bump into her a few days ago. And it's not just that I saw her again. I mean, yes, she's absolutely even more stunning than before and her legs are mesmerizing and I could just listen to her talk forever because her voice is captivating and…"_

"_Fagay… do you have a point with this?" the Asian boy asked mockingly._

"_I-I just… yes, of course I do!" she blushed, adverting her gaze and staring into the always-buzzing streets of New York. "What I mean is… the fact that she went after me… I cannot let that go, Mike, I just can't."_

"_Are going to do something about that, Quinn?"_

"_No, of course not! I am in love with Roxanna. She makes me happy and we honestly have a great life together. I'm not going to risk that for something that is buried in the past."_

_Mike shook his head. "You might think it's buried, but the ghost of what might have happened is obviously making you second-guess yourself right now. And let's be honest, deep down, you know you never stopped loving her."_

_The blonde growled quietly and grabbed her short hair in a nervous manner._

"_What am I supposed to do, Mike?" to say that she was beyond frustrated would be an understatement. "This isn't fair, you know? Rachel is happy. She has her life and she has Santana and hopefully Brittany too because they were acting way too touchy to be just mere friends and…"_

"_Wait… Santana and Rachel? Together?" Mike couldn't help but laugh, loudly. "Now, that's a good joke."_

"_It's not funny!"_

"_Oh, it is. And you, my friend, are obviously jealous."_

"_I'm not!" the blonde denied immediately. "I'm just worried about Rachel because Santana wasn't exactly known for treating our resident diva in a kindly manner._

"_And you were?" the boy retorted easily, and when Quinn didn't responded, Mike rolled his eyes. "Look, I don't know what you saw but I'm pretty sure Santana loves Brittany will all she has, and she most definitely wouldn't leave her for Rachel Berry of all people."_

"_What is that supposed to mean?" the blonde asked, feeling somehow insulted in the brunette's behalf and ready to defend her._

"_No, I don't mean it like that. I know Rachel's a great person, I'm just saying that Santana and Brittany are made for each other and that maybe, what you saw, was just our feisty Latina being super protective of her new friend… which, of course, you know how true it can be."_

_And he was right. But Quinn, for the life of her, couldn't make up her mind about all the emotions she was feeling._

"_I'm just to pissed at her for turning my life upside down once again. She let me go that day in the auditorium, Mike, she's the one that pushed me away and the fact that she keeps haunting me is not fair!"_

_The blonde's voice cracked a she had to bit her lip to keep herself from breaking down right there and then._

"_It isn't fair," Mike said softly. "But it's not her fault if you can't get it out of your head either, Q."_

"_I know." Quinn mumbled, sinking into her seat and willing the Earth to swallow her once and for all. "I just… I'm not thinking straight right now."_

"_I hate to be the one kicking you in the ass, Quinn, but you need to figure everything out and it has to be soon. News flash, you are getting married in a few days. You are committing yourself to another person for the rest of your life and you need to be sure that this is what you want unless you want to live unhappy the rest of your existence."_

_The girl let out a shaken sigh and stared at the concerned profile of her best friend. "I know that too."_

_And after that, neither of them said a single word until they reached the blonde's building. "Do you want me to pick you up tomorrow?" Mike asked; touching her shoulder softly and smiling softly, although somehow worried. "Or what do you say to a breakfast date, just the two of us?"_

"_I would love that." Quinn replied quietly, slightly smiling back to her best friend and rock. "Pick me up early, okay? I want to surprise Rox in the afternoon."_

"_You got it, boss!" Mike replied when the girl got out of the car and leaned into his window._

"_Tell Tina that I'm sorry for stealing you away tonight!"_

"_Are you really, though?" the boy asked, smirking and driving away without waiting for an answer._

"_Not even one bit!" Quinn shouted after him, laughing at herself when a couple of passersby looked at her weirdly. She waved at them, and then happily walked into her building._

_She took the elevator while checking her e-mails, smiling broadly at all the congratulations she was getting from her last exhibition. The Italians were completely in love with Quinn Fabray's latest work. Both the public and the critics have loved every single one of her pieces, which in all honestly, meant a lot to the blonde._

_She still remembered how sad she had felt when Roxanna had told her to not get her hopes up because those painting weren't the blonde's best work. Quinn had been down a few days after that, and her mood didn't improve until Mike shook her by the shoulders and told her that Roxanna was just jealous because the art was inspired in a few Broadway shows… especially Wicked. The blonde had just rolled her eyes and told him he was being stupid, not really wanting to listen to her best friend. And although she could tell that her fiancée was acting kind of strange with her, she just brush it off and kept planning her exhibition._

_If someone had told her in high school –while she was the head bitch in charge of the place– that she would end up being some kind of weird mix between a hipster artist and a theater musical nerd, the blonde would have probably slushied the hell out of them. I mean, getting real, who in their right mind would have thought that Quinn Fabray, of all people, was going to wind up being a painter?_

_But now, here she was, not even 25 and already one of the most renowned modern artist in the industry. Her work was something admired all over the world and every museum and gallery wanted to display her masterpieces._

_To say that Quinn was proud of herself would be a huge understatement._

_The blonde stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway of her penthouse in a bit of a hurry. She wanted to get some food, call her manager and take a relaxing shower to try and put her messed thoughts at ease before the red carpet started._

_Opening her door silently and not even bothering to turn on the lights, she dropped her shoes and baggage and made a beeline to the kitchen, already pulling out some Chinese left over of two days ago and a bottle of wine. The blonde was in the process of devouring a dumpling when she heard the giggles coming from her master bedroom._

_Confused, because it sounded a lot like her fiancée's laugh, Quinn picked up her glass of wine, taking a sip of it before slowly making her way towards the still laughing woman, only stopping when she stumbled with one of Roxanna's heels. Shaking her head and thinking that she had already been busted, the blonde pushed the shoe to the side and smiling broadly opened the door of her bedroom, only to be met with a sight that broke her heart completely._

"_Quinn!" her fiancée's surprised squeak brought the blonde back from the fog that was taking over her mind. "Oh my god." Roxanna mumbled, pulling the sheets up to cover her bare chest and the naked body of the other woman that was with her. "What are you doing here?"_

_Completely ignoring the person who was supposed to be loyal towards her, Quinn looked pointedly to the dirty blonde on her bed and growled. "Get out." When the girl –too stunned to do anything– didn't move, the blonde took a threatening step forward and added. "Unless you want me to go all crazy on your ass, and kill you with my bare hands, you better get the hell out of here."_

_Not wanting to be told twice, the young woman quickly picked up her clothes and rushed out of the apartment in less than a minute._

"_Quinn…"_

"_Get dressed." The blonde said monotonously before turning around and leaving the bedroom._

_Five minutes later, Roxanna walked out with her hands on her pockets and a somehow annoyed expression on her face. "Look, I just…"_

"_Our wedding is in three days, Rox." Quinn cut her off softly. Her voice was calm and she was standing in front of the wall made of glass that displayed a stunning view of New York City. "People who are about to get married aren't supposed to cheat on each other."_

"_You don't understand, I didn't meant to…"_

"_Oh please, then do tell me how a woman suddenly appeared naked on our bed… in a place you weren't even supposed to be in the first place." Quinn said, laughing sarcastically. "I called you just a few hours ago and you told me… weren't you supposed to be in New Jersey? At your mom's?"_

"_Weren't you supposed to be in Italy?"_

"_Yes, but we wrapped early the exhibition so I could come back sooner and…"_

"_And watch _her_ at tonight's awards." When Roxanna said the words, she didn't sound angry or upset, she was just resigned. "What were we doing with our lives, Quinn?"_

"_I don't know about you, but until the moment I opened that door, I was giving myself to you, Roxanna."_

"_No." Her –now obviously former fiancée– shook her head and sighed. "How could you give yourself to me when your heart was already owned by someone else? I tried to turn a blind eye to what my mind was screaming at me, and for a long time I succeeded, but when we stumbled across her a few days ago and I saw the way you were looking at her I just knew…"_

"_I love you, Rox."_

"_And despite what you just saw, I really do love you too, Q." The other woman replied quietly. "But I think it's time to stop fooling ourselves with something that will never be like we want it to be. You might love me like you say you do, Quinn, but that's not enough for me simply because you are in love with her."_

_At the mere mention of her feelings for the diva, the shorthaired blonde felt her heart skip a beat. She tried to hide her reaction, but her ex fiancée knew her well enough to easily see right through it._

"_After that encounter in the cafe, I can safely assume that she's the same girl that broke your heart right after high school, which only means… you better set yourself for disappointment, Quinn, because Rachel will never look at you the way you have always looked at her. She's a star, she shines brighter than the rest of us and she definitely has everything she could ask for, including people to warm her bed every night…"_

"_Shut up." The blonde growled, turning around and facing again the city in order to hide how much those words were hurting her. "You don't know her!"_

"_And you do?" her ex fiancée laughed. "Wake up, honey! Why would she want anything to do with you of all people? Why would she waste her time with someone from the past, someone that she never even wanted in the first place?" Roxanna said, picking up her purse and walking towards the door, stopping just to add a final and bitter blow. "I really do hope loving Rachel Berry from afar is worth more than losing me, Quinn Fabray; because that's all you'll ever going to get."_

_The echo of the door closing wasn't enough to drown out the sound of Quinn's heart shattering into tiny pieces. The blonde knew better than anyone how accurate Roxanna's words were. Rachel didn't love her; that much was clear since the day she rejected Quinn's affections in the auditorium._

_Feeling completely defeated and hurt, the blonde mussed the possibility of calling her best friend and asking him to sleep over and just hold her all night. But Mike had already done so much for her that day, and the last thing she wanted was to take the boy away from Tina again. Especially when Quinn was totally sure that the lovebirds were probably having another one of their quiet and simple –yet very romantic– nights, just snuggling together in the couch of their living room, getting ready to watch the awards and…_

_And just like that, Quinn snapped out of her stupor and rushed to the TV, turning it on before going to the kitchen to grab a bottle of wine and then settling down on her extremely comfortable couch._

_As soon as the television came to life, the buzz of the busy red carpet filled Quinn's apartment. Reporters and interviews everywhere. Celebrities waving at their fans and greeting each other with nervous and anxious smiles. Presenters talking excitedly and whishing everyone good luck. Impatiently, the blonde tried to spot Rachel in all that mess, but sighed frustrated when, after almost half an hour, she was unable to find the girl._

**Fabray, tiny Barbra looking stunning on ABC right now!**

_As soon as she read Mike's text, Quinn stumbled over her own feet trying to reach the remote. Quickly pushing the buttons, she let out a quiet gasp when Rachel's stunning figure appeared on the blonde's TV in all her glory._

"Tell me, Rachel, are you excited about being here today?" _the journalist asked her with a wide smile on her face._ "I don't want to say what we all know because I don't want to jinx it but… Today it's a pretty big day for you!"

"It certainly is, Robert." _The brunette replied with a cheerful but humble tone._ "And of course I'm excited to be here! It's the Oscars! Plus, I get to see all the people I have always admire. I mean, Hugh Jackman just said that he loved my latest movie and the first thing Jennifer Aniston did when she saw me was complement me on my dress! To be honest, it doesn't get crazier than that!"

_Robert laughed goodheartedly and said._ "I completely agree with you on that one." _Then, he gave the diva an onceover, smiling even brightly._ "I have to be honest and tell you… that dress looks amazing on you and Rachel, you truly do look like the brightest star tonight!"

"_Wow… desperate much?" Quinn muttered under her breath, feeling jealous because of the big smile that Rachel was directing to _Robert_. "Although, she does looks absolutely magnificent."_

"Well, thank you very much." _The diva said, somehow managing to sound bashful yet incredible sexy at the same time._ "Carolina Herrera is a good friend of mine, and she promised me a dress in exchange of a few backstage passes for Wicked. A pretty good deal, if you ask me!" _Rachel joked, earning a laugh from everyone within hearing distance around and her, and Quinn was sure, from everyone watching her on TV at the moment._ "What can I say? You have to know when to be smart!"

"A woman after my own heart." _Someone said behind camera, and just like that, Quinn's heart dropped to her stomach._

_She could recognize that voice; after all, Santana Lopez had been her best friend for a big part of her high school life._

"You know it, babe!" _Rachel winked at the Latina, smiling widely. And the camera turned to the right just a bit to focus on Santana, blowing a kiss to the tiny brunette and laughing loudly when the girl caught it and put her hand over her heart._ "I love you." _Rachel then mouthed clearly before turning around and focusing her attention back to Robert, who was smirking at her._

"What was that all about?" _the reporter asked at the same time that Quinn's phone came to life with a text message from Mike._

**No. Freaking. Way!**

"Oh, that's a story for another moment." _Rachel replied cryptically, eyeing someone to her left and then nodding slightly._ "Well, I must be going now because I don't want to be late to the show. It was a pleasure talking to you, Robert."

"The pleasure was all mine, Rachel." _He said, smiling politely at her._ "And I would say good luck, but you don't need it."

_The diva laughed and waved them goodbye, joining Santana at the bottom of the platform and sneaking an arm thought the Latina's waist in a gesture too intimate to be just friendly._

She's a star, she shines brighter than the rest of us and she definitely has everything she could ask for, including people to warm her bed every night…

_Not even a second after the channel cut to commercials, the blonde's phone started to ring. And Quinn didn't even have to look at the device to know the one calling her was Mike. But she didn't felt like talking tonight, and especially not after that. Besides, the artist didn't want to hear the pity in her best friend's voice towards her, since it would only remind her of what Roxanna had told her just an hour ago._

Why would she waste her time with someone from the past, someone that she never even wanted in the first place?

_Even though she tried her best, Quinn simply couldn't shake her ex fiancée's words out of her mind throughout the show. The woman had been right, and what the blonde had witnessed was enough to confirm her that._

_Rachel had everything she ever wanted, that was a given. Her professional life couldn't be better. And her love life was just as good, or so it seemed. But Santana Lopez, of all people? It couldn't be. Rachel always dreamed of having an epic love story, with someone who would love her with the same intensity and passion she always used to love her partners. Certainly, the Latina wasn't up to that task… at least in Quinn's eyes._

_And what about Brittany? Weren't they supposed to be soul mates and all that? Why would Santana leave Brittany? Why would Rachel get in between them?_

_Still, even if she was making it all up in her mind and Rachel were single… why would the brunette even bother to talk to Quinn again, when she had let the blonde walk away in the first place?_

_A part of her –the most stubborn, idiotic and skeptical one– refused to acknowledge the way in which the love of her life was staring at her when they saw each other in that café._

_The blonde didn't focus her attention in the spark of hope that had lit Rachel's eyes as soon as she snapped out of her shock and actually saw Quinn or in the hurt visibly present on the girl's voice when she stated, more than questioned, that the blonde was getting married._

_What a joke that had turned out to be, by the way._

_Instead, the shorthaired girl could only think of how regretful Rachel had looked at her back then. A small part of Quinn's brain was screaming at her, telling the blonde that the regret in the brunette's eyes was there because she had let Quinn go in the first place. But she didn't want to listen. She didn't want to get her hopes up just to have them come violently crashing down later._

_Therefore, Quinn told herself that the guilt and regret in the Rachel's gaze was only because the diva never really liked to be in her friend's bad side._

_After all, the former cheerleader had been Rachel's friend… right?_

_Both girls have been close, at least for the better part of their senior year_– _and they would've kept being best friends if it weren't for Quinn screwing everything up by telling the brunette how she truly felt about her._

_Sighing, and basically drowning in her pool of self-pity, Quinn finished her bottle of wine and stood up to get another, already feeling slightly dizzy._

_The girl continued watching the show. She saw excited people get their awards and give their speeches, sometimes in tears. Pouring glass of wine after glass of wine, Quinn felt her heart broke even further whenever the camera spotted Rachel and Santana together and her insides crumble when one of the girls hugged or kissed the other's cheek._

_The whole situation was absolute torture, yes, but Quinn would put herself through it for as long as it was necessarily just because she wanted to see Rachel win._

_And she knew her tiny Barbra was going to come out victorious. She always did._

"And the winner for best actress in a leading role is…_" Hugh Jackman's voice managed to get Quinn out of her thoughts and her attention back to the TV in time to hear him say. "_Yes! Rachel Berry!_"_

_Then, the whole theater erupted in a huge round of applauses._

_The camera immediately found Rachel among the first couple of rows, but it was impossible to gather her reaction, since Santana's strong arms were currently engulfing her. The Latina was either smiling widely or covering the brunette's face with kisses._

_After what seemed like an eternity, Rachel finally reacted and mouthed 'Is this happening?' to Santana, before receiving very enthusiastic nods and being shoved by the same girl out of her seat and towards the stage._

_The diva stumbled a bit before finding her footing and quickly making her way up the stairs. And one she made it there_– _Quinn's breath was completely taken away._

_Rachel looked absolutely stunning. She was glowing… hell; it was something even more magnificent than that. The brunette was the live personification of a goddess, Quinn concluded. And standing in the middle of the amazing stage, in front of million of people clapping and cheering for her and receiving the best award an actress could ever hope for, Rachel Berry looked like she finally belonged._

_After a quick hug and kiss, Hugh gave the brunette the Oscar and quickly left the stage, leaving all eyes focused now on the girl._

"Wow… okay… umm… First off, I have to confess that I've been practicing the speech for this moment literally since I was four years old and tall enough to look at myself in the bathroom mirror." _Everyone laughed but Rachel just shook her head, a cute frown contradicting completely her shining, yet watery eyes._ "And you would think that being prepared for so long wouldn't make you fail… yet here I am, standing in front of all of you with my mind completely and absolutely blank." _She took a shaky breath and held the Oscar tighter._ "I don't think I have ever felt so overwhelmed before, well, I have actually…" _Rachel rambled, smiling somehow shyly and making the blonde wonder what was she thinking about at the moment. "_Anyways… I'm going to do this as short as possible; and if I forget anyone, please forgive me… although, I can always assure that your name will be first on the list for the next time, because yes, there will be a next time. After all, this is only the beginning of my dreams becoming true." _Rachel nodded firmly to herself, more than anything; and Quinn couldn't help but tearing up when she saw the brunette stood before all of them in her absolute glorious self._

_It was bittersweet, really, to be able to see Rachel finally fulfill her most wanted goals and ambitions, yet not be there in person to be the first congratulating her._

_Just like Santana had done._

"I want to thank my dads, who taught me, ever since I can remember, to never give up. My agent Holly and my director James because without them, and the opportunity they presented to me, I wouldn't be standing here tonight." _The girl blew a kiss to a man sitting a few seats away from Santana, making the crowd clap joyfully. "_I also want to give the biggest shout out to my best friends Brittany Pierce, Kurt Hummel and Santana Lopez, who are responsible for always making sure that I had my head in the game; and for never letting me lose track of our Rachel. For keeping me grounded._"_

_The brunette took another deep breath, but this time it was different because when she spoke, her voice was as bittersweet as Quinn felt._

"I don't know if she's seeing this… but I'm sure as hell going to take the gamble… Mostly, I want to thank the most important person in my life. The same one that –even when I did– never stopped believing in my ability to achieve my greatest dreams. Honestly, I owe everything I currently am to her. Rachel, the performer. Rachel, the actress… Rachel, the person._" The diva let out an anxious chuckled and licked her lips before wrapping up her improvised, yet very heartfelt speech. "_Without her push to the right direction, I don't think any of you would have even known about me. I was ready to give up, until her gardenia showed me otherwise._"_

_By now, Quinn's heart was almost beating out of her chest. The blonde couldn't breathe properly; and she certainly couldn't wrap her mind about what Rachel Berry was about to do._

"I want to dedicate the most important award in my life to the most _inspiring_ woman I will ever meet. I want her to know this is for her, just because I want to remind her that no matter if we are worlds away, she'll always be present in my soul and heart. And for as long as it has to, this important part of me will always wait for you._"_

_Rachel gave a watery smile at the camera in front of her, and Quinn could almost feel as if the brunette's eyes were piercing through her soul. Her heart was aching, but her chest felt warm. And her mind was all over the place._

_Everything that was going on felt beyond unreal._

"This belongs to you, Lucy Q._"_ _And those were the last words Rachel uttered before rushing away from the stage and towards the curtains in one of the sides._

**I'm coming over, Fabray!**

_Another round of applause broke through the theater, but Quinn was too far into her own head to even notice. Her cellphone started to ring again but the blonde ignored. She still didn't felt like talking to anyone. Hell, after everything that has happened that night, Quinn was genuinely surprised that she had yet to pass out because of how emotionally tired she felt._

_Everything had really happened, right?_

_She pinched her arms to find out of she was having a nightmare… or a dream, depending on the perspective in which you looked at it. And sighed defeated when she didn't woke up._

_That only meant one thing. No matter how unreal everything seemed to be, Rachel had really spoken those words._

_In national television, no less._

_And just like the first ray of sunshine after weeks of none-stop rain, Quinn felt everything inside her get instantly warm with hope and love._

_Because Rachel always managed to pull her out of her darkest place. Rachel always managed to make her a better person and specially, Rachel always managed to make Quinn feel beautiful._

_The blonde beamed, standing up and twirling around the room while beaming widely, feeling happier than ever._

_Once again, Rachel had given her the strength to go and chase her dreams._

_The only difference was that, this time, Rachel Barbra Berry was Lucy Quinn Fabray's dream._

"_Quinn_–_" Mike's voice stopped her outburst of joy and the girl turned around to see her best friend staring at her with a somehow concerned frown. "I saw everything… are you okay?"_

"_She loves me, Mike. SHE. LOVES. ME!" Quinn shouted, twirling again and laughing like a teenage girl after talking on the phone for the first time with their crush. "Rachel loves me, and I am in love with her, which only means… It's time for me to fight again. But this time I won't be fighting myself against what I feel for her, no. This time, I'm going to be fighting for Rachel's heart and I won't stop until she's mine, because we belong together."_

* * *

><p>"It's time." Jacob Ben Israel rushed into the dressing room and focused her creepy eyes on the blonde. "My… I mean, the brightest star of our generation will take the stage in two minutes, Quinn Fabray."<p>

"Right… okay. I'll be out in a second." The blonde told him, obviously wanting to be alone with her best friend.

Jacob nodded and left quickly, but not before giving Quinn a microphone and an earpiece.

"Here, let me help you." Mike stood behind the blonde and started to connect the microphone battery to her dress. "Everything will go fine, Fabray. Trust me."

"I know… I just_–_ I have been waiting for this moment ever since I left the auditorium, Chang." Quinn confessed with trembling hands. "It's been two years since I made the decision of trying to win Rachel Berry's heart again and I am done waiting. I mean, of course I'm nervous; and I just feel so overwhelmed because she's so close to me yet so far…"

"Well then, it's time to close the gap between you two, Q." He said with a small smile, pushing Quinn's by the shoulder and towards the door. "You have healed, you have grown. I'm pretty sure not even Brittany will object to you trying to pursue her best friend now."

Quinn laughed and took a deep breath.

"She was right though, when she stopped me from talking to Rachel that day on the theater." The blonde looked at her best friend and he nodded at her reassuringly. "But now… now, I am ready. I'm not confused, I'm not conflicted and… I'm not scared of what I feel." Quinn squared her shoulders confidently and grabbed the door's handle. "In fact, I believe in what _we _feel. Both Rachel and me. We are made for each other and I'm about to prove her just that."

* * *

><p><strong>You are really awesome if you read all this, seriously, and I'm super thankful for it, too.<strong>

**xxx Hajabeg**


End file.
